The invention relates to techniques and instruments for surgical transosseous attachments, for example, the attachment of ligaments, tendons, fascia, and muscle to an adjacent bone to effect a repair of a joint. Typical joints subjected to repair are the hands, feet, ankle, knee and shoulder.
Transosseous attachment instruments of the type presently described, are generally referred to as a tunneler as they are not only utilized for the transosseous passing of suture, but in addition, are generally utilized to also guide bone tunneling procedures. Tunneler instruments of the prior art are at a disadvantage in that they require excessive procedural step to form the intersecting tunnels and transosseously pass suture through the intersecting tunnels. In addition, the prior art tunneler instruments cannot assure quick and effective transosseous placement and passing of the suture on each and every attempt, and in addition, the prior tunneler instruments are generally single use instruments which cannot be readily disassembled, disinfected and reused.
Tunneler instruments of the prior art such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 8,449,552, issued on May 28, 2013, for Surgical Drill Guide with Awl and Method of Use, do not provide a passive means for capturing the suture and therefore quick and effective transosseous placement, and passing of the suture cannot be assured on each and every attempt. With this and other prior art tunnelers, in order to capture the suture passed through a suture retrieving element, additional active manipulation of the suture retrieving element must be taken in order to effect capture of the suture to be retrieved, and assured capture of the suture upon active manipulation of the suture retrieving element cannot be guaranteed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interosseous suture passing tunneling device which possesses passive retrieving capabilities in the suture retrieving element of the tunneler and which absolutely assures quick and effective transosseous placement and passing of the suture on each and every attempt.